Tag: Global Brief | Natural Awakenings Twin Cities

Western Megadrought Surge Continues

Apr 29, 2022 08:30AM

A megadrought is a dry spell that lasts for more than 20 years, and the Southwestern U.S. endured the worst occurrence since at least 800 A.D. in the period from 2000 to 2021.

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Trouble in Solar Paradise

Apr 29, 2022 08:30AM

Pahrump, Nevada residents are upset that San Francisco-based Candela Renewables wants to build a large-scale solar field across approximately 2,300 acres.

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Factory pollution inside of pill capsule

Pharmaceutical Pollution is Out of Control

Apr 29, 2022 08:30AM

A new study has determined that pharmaceutical drugs polluting the world’s rivers pose “a global threat to environmental and human health.”

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Smoke pollution coming out of industrial area

Methane Emissions Grossly Underreported

Apr 29, 2022 08:30AM

A recent report found that methane leak emissions from the oil, gas and coal industries are 70 percent higher than official government estimates globally.

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More Bad News for Bumblebees

Apr 29, 2022 08:30AM

A study indicates that streptomycin, an antibiotic sprayed on orchard crops to combat bacterial diseases, slows the cognition of bumblebees and reduces their foraging efficiency.

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Kites in the air over water harnessing wind energy

Wind Energy Goes Airborne

Apr 29, 2022 08:30AM

The use of huge, specialized kites at an altitude of up to a half-mile, where wind currents are the strongest, are helping to harness wind energy.

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Plastic On its Way Out at National Parks

Mar 31, 2022 08:30AM

Poll finds that 82 percent of registered U.S. voters responding would like the National Park Service to stop selling and distributing single-use plastic items.

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Large Study Addresses Indigenous Biodiversity Decline

Mar 31, 2022 08:30AM

Simon Fraser University is engaging with Indigenous organizations, universities and other partners to highlight the problems of biodiversity loss and its implications for health and well-being.

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Airless Tires Increase Safety, Limit Waste

Mar 31, 2022 08:30AM

Michelin’s new airless tires don’t puncture, so they should last longer, which means fewer tires will need to be produced, thus limiting waste.

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Aerial view of Central Park in New York City

Climate Change Research in Central Park

Mar 31, 2022 08:30AM

The Central Park Climate Lab is a new initiative and climate partnership to study the impacts of climate change on urban parks.

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Industrial Farming is Bad for Birds

Mar 31, 2022 08:30AM

Researchers at the University of British Columbia found that increased farm sizes resulted in a 15 percent decline in bird diversity.

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Himalayan Glacier Retreat Bodes Consequences for Millions

Mar 31, 2022 08:30AM

Researchers have found that glaciers in the Himalayan Mountains are melting at an exceptional rate compared to other glaciers around the world.

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Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) Now Labeled as Bioengineered (BE)

Feb 28, 2022 08:30AM

The labeling rule for food products altered at the genetic level was finalized and implemented on January 1 to uphold the integrity of labeling claims and increase marketplace transparency.

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Illustration of tree with hand and arm as trunk

People of Faith Find Deep Connection to the Environment

Feb 28, 2022 08:30AM

Most of the world’s organized religious sects contain a doctrine or reference to preserving the environment.

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House boats floating in water in the Netherlands

Sustainably Coping with Sea Level Rise

Feb 28, 2022 08:30AM

In the coastal nation of the Netherlands, houseboats able to cope with rising seas or rain-induced floods are being constructed.

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Flip Side of Melting Glaciers May Benefit Salmon

Feb 28, 2022 08:30AM

More than 300 melting glaciers between British Columbia and Alaska have the potential to create 3,800 miles of new salmon habitat by 2100.

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Environment Damaged by Winter Road Salt

Feb 28, 2022 08:30AM

The salt used on roads to combat snow and ice in the winter is wreaking havoc on the environment and our drinking water.

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Bacteria May Become Plastic Pathfinders

Feb 28, 2022 08:30AM

A study has discovered that microbes in oceans and soils worldwide are evolving to eat plastic.

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Sounds of Nature are Fading

Jan 31, 2022 08:30AM

A study suggests that our natural environment is becoming quieter and less varied due to changes in the makeup of bird populations.

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Nut Milk Carries Hefty Environmental Burden

Jan 31, 2022 08:30AM

The source of almond milk, although positioned as an eco-friendly alternative to cow’s milk, may not be as sustainable as touted due the large amount of water needed and pesticides used.

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Unfettered Felines Pose Toxic Hazard to Wildlife

Jan 31, 2022 08:30AM

A study has discovered that free-roaming cats are likely infecting other animals with Toxoplasma gondii, the parasite responsible for toxoplasmosis.

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Airplane flying in sky with sun in background

Airplanes Soar on the Power of Sunlight

Jan 31, 2022 08:30AM

A plant has successfully converted sunlight and ambient air into drop-in carbon-neutral fuels, crucial for making air and sea transport sustainable.

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Illustration of cars parked underneath solar panel canopies

Solar Canopies Green Urban Parking Lots

Jan 31, 2022 08:30AM

Placing solar panels in large parking lots makes use of land that is already cleared, producing electricity close to where it’s needed and providing shade to cars.

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Tuskless Elephants Adapting to Poaching Scourge

Dec 30, 2021 08:30AM

As a genetic response to intense poaching for ivory, the amount of elephants born without tusks rose from less than one-fifth to nearly 50 percent.

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Plastic is the New Coal

Dec 30, 2021 08:30AM

A new report has found that emissions from the plastic industry may be greater than those from coal-fired power plants by 2029.

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Poachers Upsetting Ecological Balance

Dec 30, 2021 08:30AM

Researchers and experts are warning that illegal global wildlife trade impacts species, ecosystems and society in unsustainable ways.

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It’s Not the Heat, It’s the Humidity

Dec 30, 2021 08:30AM

The amount of vapor in the atmosphere is increasing, absorbing a greater amount of the infrared energy radiated off the planet’s surface than other greenhouse gases, thus trapping more heat.

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Honeybees Dodge Parasites with Social Distancing

Dec 30, 2021 08:30AM

A study shows that honeybee colonies respond to infestation from harmful mites by varying space and interaction in the hive to increase social distance between the younger and older insects.

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Climate Change Affects Coffee Quality

Dec 30, 2021 08:30AM

Climate change is affecting coffee’s taste, aroma, nutritional quality, yield and sustainability, impacting farmers’ livelihoods and consumer experiences.

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Planting 500 Billion Trees

Nov 30, 2021 08:30AM

A UK tech company claims their drone can plant two trees per second using artificial intelligence for guidance, with a goal of planting 500 billion trees by 2060.

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Chart showing different sources of PFAS found indoors

Forever Chemicals in Indoor Air

Nov 30, 2021 08:30AM

A new technique for measuring the presence of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in indoor air has found them in kindergarten classrooms, offices, laboratories and homes.

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Large-Scale Solar Power Cost Plummets

Nov 30, 2021 08:30AM

A report finds a significant decrease in the cost of renewable energy sources compared to 2020, with solar leading the pack by a wide margin.

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Wind power turbines with sun setting in background

Wind Energy Can Be a Climate Change Hero

Nov 30, 2021 08:30AM

Research indicates that advanced wind energy strategies could reduce atmospheric average temperatures of about 32 to 33 degrees Fahrenheit by 2199.

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Coral Reefs May Soon Be Just a Memory

Nov 30, 2021 08:30AM

Half of the world's coral reefs have been lost since the 1950s, with 14 percent diminishing between 2009 and 2018 alone, due to climate change, overfishing and pollution.

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Native Americans Win Historic Water Battle

Nov 30, 2021 08:30AM

The Indigenous Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes have reached a historic $1.9 billion water rights settlement, resolving thousands of tribal claims to waterways in Montana.

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Cross-Laminated Timber Emerges in Sustainable Building

Oct 29, 2021 08:30AM

A Swedish method of building using cross-laminated timber (CLT) is emerging as a climate-friendly alternative to traditional, concrete-based construction.

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Renovating the Recycling Stream

Oct 29, 2021 08:30AM

Better recycling solutions are being introduced the remove the burden from the consumer and recyclers while making the process easier.

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Banned Invasive Weeds for Sale

Oct 29, 2021 08:30AM

A study finds that about 1,300 invasive plants are sold at garden centers, nurseries and other retailers.

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Water Shortage in the Middle East

Oct 29, 2021 08:30AM

The water table in the Middle East is becoming depleted due to persistent drought, high temperatures, poor water management and overuse, and climate change.

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Entomophagy Industry Sees Growth

Oct 29, 2021 08:30AM

The United Nations predicts that the rapidly growing industry of eating insects (entomophagy) could be worth $6.3 billion by 2030, so bug-based products may soon appear in local stores.

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EPA Bans Chlorpyrifos Pesticide on Food

Oct 29, 2021 08:30AM

Chlorpyrifos, a pesticide linked to neurological damage in children, including reduced IQ, loss of working memory and attention deficit disorders, can no longer be used on food.

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Return Native Lands to Protect Nature

Sep 30, 2021 08:30AM

Land is being transferred to or co-managed by Indigenous tribes, repatriating culturally and ecologically important resources with the former occupants and local communities.

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Using Enzymes to Recycle Plastic

Sep 30, 2021 08:30AM

A more sustainable approach for recycling polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic used in single-use beverage bottles, clothing and food packaging, has been found.

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Sunlight shining on solar panels with sky and clouds in the background

Global Industry Turns to Solar Energy

Sep 30, 2021 08:30AM

Production costs for solar energy dropped by 90 percent between 2009 and 2020, with experts estimating a rise in solar power plants around the world.

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Cookware frying pan made out of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as "forever chemicals"

Forever Chemicals Banned in Maine

Sep 30, 2021 08:30AM

In lieu of federal regulation, the state of Maine has enacted a wide-ranging ban on the use of all perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), nicknamed “forever chemicals”, by 2030.

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Ocean coastline with waves along sandy beach and clouds in sky

Oceans are Key to Controlling Climate

Sep 30, 2021 08:30AM

A recent report states that countries must recognize the important role that oceans have in limiting climate change and enact policies to protect marine ecosystems.

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Gloved hands placing food waste into paper bag

Food Waste Complicates Effort to Slow Climate Change

Sep 30, 2021 08:30AM

A report suggests that food waste should be viewed not only in relation to world hunger, but also in the context of climate change, as food production consumes vast amounts of resources.

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Wild Bees Thrive on Forest Deadwood

Aug 31, 2021 08:30AM

Scientists have found that creating deadwood in coniferous forests is a promising restoration measure to promote an abundance of aboveground nesting bees.

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Farm Waste Doubles as Construction Material

Aug 31, 2021 08:30AM

Agricultural waste (agro-waste) such as manure, leaf litter and crop residues can be recycled into organic and sustainable construction materials, helping to reduce landfill issues.

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Two people walking side-by-side, one with arm around the other down sidewalk in urban area covered with trees overhead

Wealth Distribution Linked to Urban Canopies

Aug 31, 2021 08:30AM

An analysis has found that a pattern of inequitable distribution of trees has deprived many communities of the health and other benefits that sufficient tree cover can deliver.

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Worldwide Shark Extinction Risk

Aug 31, 2021 08:30AM

A study has discovered sharks to be absent from many of the world’s coral reefs, indicating they are “functionally extinct”, that is, too rare to fulfill their normal role in the ecosystem.

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Artificial milk being poured into drinking glass on table

Artificial Milk is Next ‘Frankenfood’

Aug 31, 2021 08:30AM

Genetically recombined Trichoderma reesei fungus is producing synthetic versions of dairy proteins casein and whey for an animal-free milk.

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Soil Regulators Soft on Pesticide Use

Jul 30, 2021 08:30AM

A new study recommends changes in how regulatory agencies like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) assess the risks posed by the nearly 850 approved pesticide ingredients.

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Cactus Poachers Are Denuding Deserts

Jul 30, 2021 08:30AM

More than 30 percent of the world’s 1,500 or so cactus species are threatened with extinction, and criminal scavengers are primarily to blame.

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Cleaned river flowing in woods with mountains in the background

Superfund Mine-Polluted Stream Restorations See Success

Jul 30, 2021 08:30AM

Large investments made to clean up acid drainage into streams and rivers polluted by toxic metals from abandoned mining sites are yielding success.

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UN Methane Report Faults Big Meat and Big Dairy

Jul 30, 2021 08:30AM

With livestock contributing 32 percent of the methane footprint, there is a great need to regulate and mitigate methane emissions from global meat and dairy companies.

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Textiles of various colors tied together in sky

Textile Manufacturers Fight Climate Change

Jul 30, 2021 08:30AM

With a goal of 45 percent reduced CO2 emissions from textile fiber and material production by 2030, Textile Exchange is pushing for urgent climate action.

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Volcanic Ground Cover Slows Climate Change

Jun 30, 2021 08:30AM

Researchers are using recycled rock dust to enrich farm and rangeland soils to accelerate the processes by which soils capture atmospheric carbon.

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Doctor holding out vegetables in hospital room

All-Vegan Menu Debuts at Lebanon Hospital

Jun 30, 2021 08:30AM

Hayek Hospital, in suburban Beirut, Lebanon, launched a 100 percent plant-based menu in March as a “moral responsibility”.

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Vertical indoor grown farm growing vegetables

Huge Indoor Vertical Farm to Serve Food Desert

Jun 30, 2021 08:30AM

The agriculture startup Plenty Unlimited Inc. is building an indoor vertical farm in Compton to provide jobs and fresh produce to the historical “food desert” and surrounding areas.

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Electric powered sports utility vehicle parked in mountains near solar panels

Dealers Align Behind Electric Cars

Jun 30, 2021 08:30AM

The success of electric vehicle models, along with a plan to stop selling new internal combustion cars by 2035 in California, have propelled the transition from fossil-fuel-powered vehicles.

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Famous Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada sign

Las Vegas Seeks to Ban Nonfunctional Grass

Jun 30, 2021 08:30AM

Las Vegas-area water officials hope to impose a policy banning grass on “nonfunctional turf” that no one walks on in such places as highway medians, housing developments and office parks.

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Broken television set with no screen set near flowing water in nature

Nature Documentaries Mislead Public Opinion

Jun 30, 2021 08:30AM

The unswerving presentation of nature as an untouched wilderness in nature documentaries misleads viewers into thinking that an abundance of these areas currently remains.

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Offshore Wind Power Gaining Momentum

May 28, 2021 08:30AM

With technological advances, falling costs, increased interest, the ability to relieve carbon dependency and the tremendous economic potential, offshore wind energy holds great promise.

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World’s Largest Dam Removal Project Underway

May 28, 2021 08:30AM

An agreement between farmers, tribes and dam owners will result in the deconstruction of four aging, inefficient dams along the Klamath River in the Pacific Northwest to restore salmon runs.

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Lithium Mining for Electric Vehicles Creating Tension

May 28, 2021 08:30AM

The proposed Thacker Pass lithium mine in northern Nevada has passed a review by the Bureau of Land Management, but unhappy residents and conservation groups are filing lawsuits.

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Bottle of sunscreen in sand at beach next to seashells

Sunscreens Harm Hawaiian Reefs

May 28, 2021 08:30AM

A proposed bill banning sunscreens containing the chemicals avobenzone or octocrylene, harmful to humans, marine animals and coral, has progressed through the Hawaiian House and Senate.

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Thermometer in front of hot sun reading rising, warming temperatures

Summer Season Projected to Last Longer

May 28, 2021 08:30AM

A new study predicts that if emissions of greenhouse gases go unchecked, summers in the Northern Hemisphere could last nearly six months by 2100.

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Wild Birds Trained to Pick Up Litter

May 28, 2021 08:30AM

A Dutch company, Crowded Cities, has a device called the CrowBar that trains birds to collect discarded cigarette butts in exchange for food.

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Olio App Prevents Food Waste

May 28, 2021 08:30AM

The smartphone app Olio allows people with extra food to post a picture online. Anyone that wants the food can respond and pick it up as a gift.

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Aerial shot of Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge at Phil Hardberger Park in San Antonio, Texas

World’s Largest Wildlife Highway Crossing Opens in San Antonio

Apr 30, 2021 08:30AM

The Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge connects people with nature in San Antonio across a six-lane highway at Phil Hardberger Park, the largest wildlife crossing of its kind in the U.S.

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Golden-mantled ground squirrel quirrel climbing uphill in Colorado to escape warming temperatures from climate change

Critters React to Warming Temperatures in the Rockies

Apr 30, 2021 08:30AM

A study reveals that the popular golden-mantled ground squirrel and 46 other species of rodents and shrews in Colorado are climbing uphill to escape warming temperatures in the state.

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Allergy sufferer blowing nose outside experiencing more symptoms from climate change

Climate Change Makes Pollen Season Worse for Allergy Sufferers

Apr 30, 2021 08:30AM

A study found that pollen seasons have been getting longer and more intense over the last 30 years with an increase in mean annual temperatures being the strongest driver.

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Gas Utilities Knock Electric Appliances

Apr 30, 2021 08:30AM ● By Rachael Oppy

As cities phase out the installation of gas lines in new buildings to cut down on methane emissions, gas utilities have been staging adversarial campaigns nationwide.

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Littered crumpled plastic bottle floating in water

Artificial Intelligence Joins Fight Against Marine Litter

Apr 30, 2021 08:30AM

MARLIT, an open-access web app based on a deep-learning artificial intelligence algorithm, will promote the detection and measurement of floating plastics in the sea.

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Composting Human Remains is a Reality

Apr 30, 2021 08:30AM

Environmental activist Katrina Spade founded Recompose, the country’s first human composting funeral home, in Seattle, Washington, where composting as a form of human burial is legal.

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Nations Band Together to Preserve One-Third of the Planet

Mar 31, 2021 08:30AM

More than 50 countries have united as the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (HAC 30x30), avowing to preserve 30 percent of the planet’s land and oceans by 2030.

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Deforestation Alert System Mitigates Climate Change

Mar 31, 2021 08:30AM

Global Forest Watch, a free application, uses satellite imaging to detect and alert deforestation activities, a key factor of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide and climate change.

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Access Expanded for Scientific Papers

Mar 31, 2021 08:30AM

An open-access project, called Plan S, recently began requiring that scholarly papers published from the work they fund be made immediately available for public reading at no charge.

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National Wildlife Refuges are Overwhelmed and Understaffed

Mar 31, 2021 08:30AM

The National Wildlife Refuge System is facing crumbling infrastructure, maintenance needs, lack of resources, staffing cuts and chronic underfunding.

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Discarded disposable face masks recycled, reused or repurposed

Discarded Safety Gear Used to Build Highways

Mar 31, 2021 08:30AM

Researchers have formulated a new road-making material comprised of a mix of shredded single-use face masks and processed building rubble designed to meet civil engineering safety standards.

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Protecting the Organic Marketplace

Mar 31, 2021 08:30AM

While demand and activity around organic products is rising, the challenge is to safeguard standards from large corporations that buy up organic brands and try to weaken USDA requirements.

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Saving Coral Reefs Worldwide

Feb 26, 2021 08:30AM

The International Coral Reef Initiative has urged governments to take action to save the planet’s remaining coral reefs and their attendant fish populations.

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Caribbean Offshore Drilling Threatens Florida Beaches

Feb 26, 2021 08:30AM

The Bahamas Petroleum Company has begun exploratory oil drilling 150 miles from South Florida despite warnings of the potential for severe or catastrophic impact if a spill occurs.

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The Benefits of Renewable Geothermal Energy

Feb 26, 2021 08:30AM

Despite its enormous potential, geothermal energy supplied just 0.4 percent of U.S. electricity in 2019.

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Hazardous Pollutants Found in Mount Everest Snow

Feb 26, 2021 08:30AM

Manmade perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been detected in snow at the top of Mount Everest, posing a risk for trekkers, climbers and residents that drink the water.

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Honey Bees Have a Dirty Secret

Feb 26, 2021 08:30AM

Although honey bees symbolize sustainability and are vital to farmers, they also have a distressing effect on the environment—destabilizing natural ecosystems by competing with native bees.

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Economical Carbon-Neutral Jet Fuel

Feb 26, 2021 08:30AM

Researchers have developed a carbon-neutral way to produce jet fuel using carbon dioxide as a main ingredient.

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Climate Change Makes Hurricane Destruction Worse

Jan 29, 2021 08:30AM

Research suggests hurricanes will remain stronger and persist longer after making landfall, causing greater and more widespread destruction, because of ocean waters heated by climate change.

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Filling water from tap to avoid microplastic particles

Plastic Particles Ingested in Food and Water

Jan 29, 2021 08:30AM

Researchers estimate people that drink bottled water ingest an additional 90,000 microplastic particles annually compared to 4,000 microplastics for those that drink only tap water.

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Child playing in natural environment to enhance immune system

Childhood Immunity Enhanced by Natural Environment

Jan 29, 2021 08:30AM

Research finds that switching a child’s playground from gravel to natural forest floor could foster a better immune system by exposing them to a greater variety of skin and gut bacteria.

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Europe Tightens Methane Emission Monitoring, But U.S. Does Not

Jan 29, 2021 08:30AM

62 oil and gas companies acting as the Climate and Clean Air Coalition’s Oil and Gas Methane Partnership have adopted framework to report methane emissions, but none of them are in the U.S.

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Low-Carbon Cement Offsets Climate Change

Jan 29, 2021 08:30AM

The manufacture of cement creates up to 8 percent of the total global carbon dioxide generated by humans, but a variety of approaches are being explored to lower these worrisome emissions.

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Disaster Fatigue Influences Decisions

Jan 29, 2021 08:30AM

Extreme levels of stress from wildfires, hurricanes, floods and the pandemic can induce “disaster fatigue”, a form of emotional exhaustion that may reshape how people make choices.

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Generous people giving and improving longevity

Generosity Fosters Increased Longevity

Dec 30, 2020 08:30AM

A new study suggests that people that share more live longer because the act of giving and receiving increases well-being.

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Bacteria Powers Animal Magnetic Sense

Dec 30, 2020 08:30AM

Researchers hypothesize that some animals are able to sense the Earth’s magnetic fields due to a symbiotic relationship with magnetotactic bacteria.

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Some Beaches Can Survive Rising Sea Levels

Dec 30, 2020 08:30AM

An international team of coastal scientists from around the world has disproved the theory that half the world’s beaches will become extinct over the course of the 21st century.

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New Fabric Generates Solar Energy

Dec 30, 2020 08:30AM

Scientists have developed a material that works like a luminescent solar concentrator for producing energy directly where needed that can be applied to textiles.

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Person smiling creating positive thoughts

Smiling Makes for More Positive Thoughts

Dec 30, 2020 08:30AM

Researchers find that the act of smiling and moving facial muscles can trick our mind into taking a more positive attitude.

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Nitrous Oxide Hastens Global Warming

Dec 30, 2020 08:30AM

Rising nitrous oxide (N20) emissions are jeopardizing the climate goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, according to a study.

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